International
The number of children killed in conflicts tripled in 2023, the United Nations denounces
The number of children who died in global conflicts tripled in 2023 compared to the previous year, and the number of women doubled, denounced on Tuesday the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, in his update on the situation of fundamental freedoms on the planet.
In total, the civilian victims in the multiple conflicts that ravage the planet in places such as Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Burma, Syria or Yemen, among many others, grew by 72%, Türk said at the opening of the 56th session of the Human Rights Council, citing statistics from the office he heads.
“It is disheartening to see how the different parties to the conflict exceed the limits of the acceptable and legal on many fronts, with a total contempt for the other, trampling on human rights,” the head of human rights told the delegations of the United Nations member states.
Faced with this, “the murder of civilians has become a daily routine, as well as the destruction of infrastructure. Children who are shot, hospitals bombed, heavy artillery against entire communities,” he denounced.
Türk gave as a first example of these abuses the situation in Gaza, where he recalled that 120,000 people have been killed or injured in eight months of Israeli attacks.
“The relentless attacks in Gaza are causing immense suffering and widespread destruction, and the arbitrary obstruction of humanitarian aid continues. Israel continues to arbitrarily detain thousands of Palestinians. This cannot continue,” Türk said, recalling that UN reports indicate that Israel and Hamas could be committing war crimes.
The Austrian also stressed that since in May Israel intensified its operations in Rafah, in the southern end of the Gaza Strip and the last refuge for many Palestinians who left their homes in areas further north, “more than a million Palestinians have necessarily had to move once again.”
In the war in Ukraine, the High Commissioner expressed his concern about the deterioration of the country’s situation after two and a half years of Russian invasion and particularly denounced the situation in Kharkov, where the recent Russian land offensive “has destroyed entire communities.”
“Many inhabitants, mostly elderly, hide in the basements, without electricity, water or adequate food, while the area suffers intense attacks with explosives,” said the Austrian.
Türk also recalled that the repeated waves of large-scale attacks by Russia against energy infrastructure have destroyed 68% of Ukraine’s electricity production capacity, “placing the system at a point of no return, especially for the winter.”
But Türk also alluded to other conflicts less present in the headlines and televisions, in places such as the Sahel, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, Haiti or Sudan, the latter country that according to the High Commissioner “is being destroyed before our eyes.”
The generals at the head of the two sides in conflict in Sudan “have responsibility in the commission of possible war crimes and other atrocities,” including ethnic attacks and sexual violence, he said.
“They are ultimately responsible for the impact of their actions on civilians, with effects such as mass displacement, the threat of famine, or an ever-increasing humanitarian disaster,” said the high commissioner.
At other levels that do not yet reach the open conflict, Türk also warned on Tuesday about the speeches “that turn migrants into scapegoats,” something that in his opinion has become common “between populists and the extreme right” in electoral campaigns in Europe, North America and other regions.
He also denounced setbacks in the situation of women and girls from various countries, with flagrant examples in Iran and Afghanistan, where they suffer serious violations of their fundamental freedoms.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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